Business expansion: a disruptive process that always ends in disaster? We don’t think so. Every business owner will have their own experience of trying to grow, but in general, expansion doesn’t need to be an ordeal. It’s something to be taken at pace and explored down a variety of avenues — whichever is most suitable for your plans and finances — and that can result in a much more positive outcome in a year or two’s time. As such, expansion doesn't always need to get a bad rep; let’s go through the 3 ways that’s changed in recent years.
By Team Savant
Image: Imagine Buddy
Working From Home Has Changed the Landscape
With working from home a much more popular and widespread option these days, it can be much easier to build a large, international, but still coordinated team. You’re only a connection away from each other, and you don’t need an office base to make that happen.
That also means you’ve got the staff you need all across the world, and if you have global ambitions, you already have representatives in the time zones you’re interested in.
Modern Physical Expansion Techniques are Made to Be Non-Invasive
It might sound like an impossibility, but when you’re expanding via the use of construction, you no longer have to clear out the premises in a traditional way. Of course, a worksite needs to follow all safety rules, but in the modern era, techniques like trenchless construction are minimally invasive to the surrounding area.
That means a much lower level of disruption to your usual business operations. There’s far less of a chance of a safety issue occurring, and even when you’re rerouting the infrastructure around your premises, the cost of hitting a snag won’t be as eye-popping.
It’s why the commercial real estate world is a great market for business owners. You’re already active in the sector, and expanding via an investment portfolio on top of adding tangible value to your land can result in a much greater ROI.
Taking Your Time is Always Better
It’s safer to expand at a rate that’s truly comfortable for your budget, your manpower, and your expertise. You don’t ever want to rush our business' growth, and you should never aim to hit a goal months before you’re actually ready to do so.
Disruption occurs when these goals are set without a proper timeline. If a business owner doesn’t factor in how their company actually works, and what they’re really capable of, there’s a much higher chance expansion will halt to a snail’s pace.
This is what people remember when they look back on their expansion dreams, and it also informs a lot of the landscape around choosing to grow outwards. But without a clear idea of what you want and how you’re going to get there, it’ll always be next to impossible to achieve the growth milestones you’ve written down on your checklist.
Expansion isn’t always a disruptive thing. Grow your business on your terms for better success.